It's safe to say most teens live in the moment and rarely document, plot, and plan every detail of their future. But Von Pea, known back in high school by his government name, Devon Callendar, wasn't your average teen. Back in the late-90's while sitting in the classrooms of Boys & Girls High School in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Devon ambitiously, and yet secretly, set out to accomplish the goal of occupying a spot in hip hop's next generation. Looking back to his future, Von Pea says he always knew what circle of hip-hop he'd be a part of and what his music would sound like. The 28 year-old producer and emcee is now embarking on his intricately crafted concept debut solo album titled Pea's Gotta Have It, which comes out on October 12th through Interdependent Media. "This isn't so much me going solo as it is trying to trick people into hearing my actual music as originally intended," says Von. "Tanya Morgan started as a group of soloists. The group was a side project. And my solo album is basically the album I always wanted to make in high school." Back in school, Von carved his own lane in Brooklyn's heavily competitive hip-hop scene. He utilized his sheer humor, wit, and spirited personality to his advantage, not to mention his already distinguishable voice, of which he cites "the women love." Arguably the most famed and recognized region in hip-hop history, Brooklyn openly served Von with a consistent blend of musical styles from an early age, in addition to his strongest influences such as Big Daddy Kane, Busta Rhymes, and Biggie. "I grew up in the projects, so if music wasn't blasting in the park, it was coming through the walls or something," says Von.

Although Von started writing rhymes around the age of nine, it wasn't until he was 16 when his music impressively started to take on an entirely new importance - he strived to make it his life. While many aspiring record artists dip in and out of music from time to time, Von always willingly stuck with it. "I surprisingly didn't know anyone else close to me who rapped and I'm also the only person in my family who was born in the ‘80s," says Von. "When I was ten, everyone was either 20 or a newborn. I didn't have any peers. All I had was music and my imagination - the same exact things I have now." And although Von worked steadily on his craft during high school, he kept it a secret. "Everyone wanted to be a rapper and I didn't want to be one of ‘those guys' who is constantly promoting themselves so I didn't put myself on blast." And even though the group Tanya Morgan was steadily evolving, Von recalls calling up surprised friends and family members in December of 2005 telling them he was going to be featured in XXL Magazine's Show & Prove section.

Known for thinking outside-of-the-box, Von's forthcoming debut Pea's Gotta Have It is no exception. In 2007, Von unexpectedly stumbled upon his long forgotten personal journal from high school in which he endlessly scribbled pages of "when I become a rapper talk" during the long, drawn-out afternoon hours at Boys & Girls High School. He even contrived what his "future" rap album would sound like - fast-forward ten years later and the result: Pea's Gotta Have It. "The album is, in a way, a goal I'm achieving late," says Von. "It's a concept album based around high school, inspired by what I thought my album would sound like when I was 17."

Featuring guest appearances from Danny!, Spec Boogie, Che Grand, and more, the album appropriately signifies a strong representation of hip-hop's youth. Von, who is also distinguished as Tanya Morgan's in-group producer (he produced eight songs off the group's 2009 jewel Brooklynati), contributed six beats to Pea's Gottta Have It, also working with longtime Tanya Morgan producers Brickbeats and Aeon. "The album actually sounds like a Tanya Morgan album if we were all from Brooklyn," laughs Von. "It's more New York centric but still has that lively, animated Tanya Morgan vibe our fans love." Throughout the album's recording process, Von openly embraced the opportunities a solo album entails, giving him the ability to showcase a deeper side of his personality and character. But at the end of the day, Von's artistic goals as a MC are quite simple. "When people listen to me, I want them to be entertained. I've failed if you're not entertained," says Von. "The best reaction is when I'm playing something for someone and they start laughing. Not because of how whack it is, but because of how entertained they are. That's major for me."

Although Von has yet to sell millions of records around the world or collaborate with the music industry's biggest stars, his teenage dreams readily became everything he imagined - and much more. Not many have the chance to live out their lifelong ambitions and Von knows he has a lot to be thankful for. "I've been able to travel and meet some of my idols. Not only that but they have become fans of what I do too and you can't buy that with your 401k," says Von. "I take pride in being part of a niche hip-hop act because we aren't in a rush to get to where we're going. We're still on our way." So grab your backpacks, because class is now in session.